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First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC Political Researcher



Obama picks up Iowa superdelegate

Posted: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 12:47 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Richard Machaceck, an Iowa DNC member and superdelegate, has endorsed Obama, according to a report by the Des Moines Register, passed along by the Obama campaign. This is Obama's second superdelegate of the day.

"I think it needs to be over, and in good conscience, I can't fly in the face of my precinct, county and district," Machacek told The Des Moines Register. "The raw numbers coming out of the district conventions really sat me down hard."

This makes it 7-3 superdelegate pickups for Obama since the Pennsylvania primary.

SUPERDELEGATES: Clinton 265-244 (286 uncommitted)
PLEDGED: Obama 1,490-1,334

OVERALL: Obama 1,734-1,599

*** UPDATE *** By request, Joe, here are the pickups since the PA primary:
OBAMA (7): Brad Henry (OK GOV), Audra Ostergard (NE DNC), David Wu (OR Rep), Charlene Fernandez (AZ DNC), Jeff Bingaman (NM SEN), Ben Chandler (KY Rep), Richard Machacek (IA DNC). 

CLINTON (3): John Tanner (TN Rep), Kathy Sullivan (NH add on), Mike Easley (NC GOV).

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***AMERICA, PLEASE NOTE

I am disgusted and tired of being “lectured’ to by Sen. Obama and Rev. Wright about what exactly is WRONG with typical white, bitter, gun toting, bible clinging, small town,  Americans!!!  SICK OF IT!!  

You know, lets look closely at the situation here. It was NOT the Clintons who played the race card here, it really wasn’t. Bill Clinton made an observation in South Carolina, said what he felt to be accurate (and subsequently WAS) yet… all of the sudden.. HE IS A RACEIST  --NOT taking into consideration that it was the Clintons who have been fighting for the rights of African Americans for nearly 30 years!!  Sen. Hillary Clinton actually attended the Black Caucus hosted by the NAACP in New Orleans a few months ago and when Sen. Obama was asked to attend… his reply… ‘I’m too busy campaigning”  WHAT?  To busy to support your fellow African Americans - yet Clinton is the one who is racist?

SICK AND TIRED OF THE RACE GAME !!  DISGUSTED IN FACT! Every time I might say something that is merely an observation in this election, I run the risk of being called a racist! YET… when the shoe is on the other foot, silence is abundant!

Sick of it!  97% of the African Americans voted for Obama in PA, and this wasn’t racist??

North Carolina and Indiana…. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION and God forbid you should utter any observations about Sen. Obama as before you know it… you too, will be called a racist!  

Sen. Obama claims he had sat in the pews for 20 years “but had NO idea” Rev. Wright was so extreme!  My question to Sen. Obama, sir, do you really think we Americans are  dumb enough to actually believe you when you say this?

According to Rev. Wright “a change is coming!”  

You bet it is Mr. Wright! Typicle white, bitter, bible-toting , gun clinging small town AMERICANS will show you the way!

The Superdeligates need to pay attention to ELECTABILITY!!!
7-3?  Can we get a listing of those since PA?
Drip . Drip.. Drip.. More to come.
Keep 'em comin'!  

This should all be over May 7 when the flood gates open.

http://gibbsv.blogspot.com/
the dripping is deafening


when will Hill supporters "get it"?

if you listen close, you can hear the fat lady singing
The beat goes on....Hillary needs to get 70% of the undeclared superdelegates....does not look likely
Yes! Thank you IOWA! Come on NC and Indiana!
Ok the rest of you SUPERDELEGATES time to start this ball to rolling.

Make your minds up already this has gone on for far too long. Don`t be scared the clintons are just people just like you.

Let`s show the Clintons that we do not owe them anything that they will have to earn it.
You know what is right and the right thing to do.

Thanks you Richard Machaceck from Iowa.

Go  Obmam '08
Ok the rest of you SUPERDELEGATES time to start this ball to rolling.

Make your minds up already this has gone on for far too long. Don`t be scared the clintons are just people just like you.

Let`s show the Clintons that we do not owe them anything that they will have to earn it.
You know what is right and the right thing to do.

Thanks you Richard Machaceck from Iowa.

Go  Obmam '08
Way to go Obama!  Chuck do you think you guys could have a different picture than Wright on politic front page.  Please let's move on to the issues!!

From: Cafe, Election Central, Muckraker
Breaking News! : Hillary Clinton Required to Testify in November to FEC Fraud!

By Potus Obama 2008 - April 28, 2008, 12:13AM
To All Super Delegates! : This is very disturbing news!

In the landmark civil fraud case against Bill Clinton in Los Angeles, where the former President is charged with defrauding a Hollywood dot com millionaire to help Hillary Clinton obtain more than $1.2 million from him for her 2000 Senate campaign, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Aurelio Munoz ruled on Friday, April 25 that Hillary Clinton would not be required to testify in a sworn deposition as a material witness in the case until AFTER the November election!
While Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Al Gore, Ed Rendell, Barabara Streisand, Cher, Stan Lee, Brad Pitt, Mike Wallace, Larry King et al may be called to testify and be deposed starting in May, Hillary alone has been protected from explaining her role in her husband’s fraud charges.
In an astonishing ruling by the Judge, Hillary Clinton may NOT be deposed about her role in the illegal solicitation and cover up of the largest contribution made to her Senate campaign until after the presidential election. This is the same contribution Hillary denied knowing about or receiving when Lloyd Grove of the Washington Post asked her specifically about it and her relationship with the donor, Peter Paul, in August 2000. Its the same contribution her finance director David Rosen was criminally tried in May, 2005, or hiding from her and her campaign. Its the same contribution the FEC fined her campaign for hiding from the voters in three false FEC reports by her treasurer between 2000-2006. (www.paulvclinton.com)
Equally surprising as the ruling was the judge’s request to Hillary defense lawyer David Kendall to “say hello to his ( Judge Munoz”) friend Bill, also a partner in Kendall’s law firm”
The decision to shield Hillary Clinton from civil discovery for an additional seven months, thereby delaying a long postponed trial, was made by the judge on his own, without any request by Hillary or her lawyer to make the ruling. No discussion was permitted by Paul’s lawyer before the decision was made. Judge Munoz’ unilateral decision effectively saved the floundering campaign and hopes of Hillary Clinton to win her party’s Presidential nomination!
Had Senator Clinton be forced to testify under oath, as a material witness and beneficiary of the fraud that her husband is being sued for before the Democratic Convention, her remote chances for being nominated the party candidate would have been unquestionably destroyed.
Hillary has never publicly commented on the case in which she was a defendant from 2003-2006. Nor has Hillary ever commented on the videotaped phone call she made to Peter Paul the day he began spending more than $1 million for her Senate campaign, the false statements she made through Howard Wolfson to the Washington Post denying working with Paul or receiving any contributions from him, the sworn Declaration she made under oath where she refused to deny any of Paul’s allegations, the role her White House aide Kelly Craighead played in coordinating Paul’s expenditures and befirending Paul’s Japanese business partner during a White House visit and many other unanswered questions of illegal conduct.
The illegalities detailed in Paul’s civil complaint and FEC complaint caused Hillary’s finance director to be criminally indicted and tried in 2005 by the Department of Justice Office of Public Integrity (the same group that prosecuted Scooter Libby) for hiding the cost of a fundraiser paid for by Paul. Paul’s FEC allegations forced Hillary’s campaign to admit to the FEC in October, 2005, that it violated FEC reporting requirements by hiding more than $700,000 received from Paul that Hillary personally said she never received.
Hillary’s sworn deposition is expected to reveal numerous illegalities directed by Hillary, with Bill’s help, to win and keep her Senate seat and avoid being accountable to the law. The judge’s sua sponte decision to delay Hillary’s deposition until after the presidential election denies the public’s right to know what a presidential candidate and a former president have done to undermine the Rule of Law and the Constitution by corrupting the Department of Justice Office of Public Integrity and its very Chief, Noel Hillman, federal judge A Howard Matz appointed by Bill Clinton (who deceived the jury in the criminal trial of Hillary’s finance director by telling the jury that Hillary was not involved in any way) and the FEC itself which aided and abetted Hillary filing a fourth false FEC report in January, 2006 that omitted any reference to the $1.2 million contribution the FBI and DOJ swore Paul made.
The Department of Justice prosecutor in the May, 2005 criminal case stated that $1.2 million was personally contributed by Paul at the request of Bill Clinton as part of an employment deal for Clinton’s post White House rainmaking services and was confirmed by FBI Special Agent David Smith as explained by Dept of Justice Prosecutor Dan Schwaber (pages 55,57,72) during the criminal trial of Hillary’s finance director David Rosen in May 2005.
Hillary’s treasurer was later forced to admit filing the false FEC reports to hide more than $700,000 paid by Paul, and fined $35,000 (the only fine imposed on Hillary’s campaign) yet Hillary has never answered one question to the media or the courts about these charges!
In fact, Hillary’s sworn Declaration in response to Paul’s sworn allegations constituted a legal admission to Paul’s charges becauseHillary refused to deny any of the allegations!
Strangely, Hillary admitted to the Washington Post in August 2000 knowing that the fundraising event Paul produced and paid for in August, 2000 cost more than $1 million- yet Rosen was indicted on three counts of hiding this fact from Hillary’s campaign causing 3 false FEC reports to be filed!
The cover-up of the original felony violations of the federal election law committed by Hillary and Bill Clinton (they solicited and coordinated Paul’s $1 million plus contribution as a quid pro quo for Clinton’s post White House employment) have resulted in a corruption of every branch of the government by the Clinton’s- all in plain view of the public and with the collusion of the media and the government. Watergate seems insignificant in the breadth of its public corruption in comparison with what has become the mother of all coverups orchestrated by Hillary Clinton.
Nobama, and patty,sd,ca, etc.

Congratulations to us all. The supers are telling us that they believe Obama to be innocent of Wright's personal issues. This may be over soon. Don't worry, be happy. Love you too!
but, but, but, but I thought supers were afraid to endorse Obama.

We the people are tired of being taken for fools, by politicians and the media. We want somebody with INTEGRITY. That's Barack Obama, end of story.
Please don't continue to make Obama responsible for what his pastor says. I only care what the candidates have to say. You could show the picture of the Pastor Wright with the Clinton's that I saw on TV once. Let Obama alone. You had done enough to him!!!!!! I'm tired of it.
The Clintonistas how you like Obama now....I know you want the bleeding to stop but your sadly mistaken... Obama support is growing more than Hillary's.... Its obvious which way the majority of SD are leaning....Game Over... Obama 08
I don't want a "fighter" in the White House, I want a "leader".  The last debate told me all I need to know, he was gracious to her and her gaffes, while she went for the jugular.  

No matter how the "values" voters vote, the gay population will still be 5-10% of the population, they will be living among us as tax paying productive members of society.

No matter how the "values" voters vote, abortion will still be available, for the poor it will be "back alley" and risky, for the rich it will be overseas.  The goal is to make it rare by sensibly teaching prevention along with morals.  

No matter how the "liberal" voters vote, prayer will still be said in school, especially before tests and sporting events.

No matter how the "liberal" voters vote, the second amendment will still allow lawful gun ownership.

So this time, Vote with your head, vote for the economy, vote for jobs.  

Vote Democratic 2008 -- don't let the corporations and their Republican stooges win again.  
WHOSHhh....  I can hear the wallets of the swift boaters whipping out now ;-)  It's going to be real smoooooth sailing come November if Sen. Obama is the democratic nominee!

Say Bye Bye to the white house for another 4 years fellas!
"Patty,sd,ca" to bless this thread with her "wisdom" in 3....2....1...
Dear Fellow Americans,

Our Great-grand Nation, the United States of America
is and will face very critical "Challenges" in coming
years and decades.

The Problems will be tough and solutions would not
easy.

The key will the cool, calm, and collectedness of our
next President[ What I call Presidential Temperament'
The one remaining candidate who has consistently that
Presidential Temperament is Senator Obama.

His message of change makes sense. We have to stop
doing business in Washington old ways. The new ways of
lifting each other up and stopping tearing each other
down will not held our Great grand Nation. The
Terrorists around the world[real] and inadvertently
assisted by some shortsighted media [Who are party to
this perpetuation of psychological terrorism of
mis-information, dis-information, and duplicity], that
is what we do not need.

In order to send the message around the world that
America is get Senator Obama our next president. At
least on thing he has shown consistently is the
presidential Temperament. The Temperament of our next
president is very critical address internal and
internal challenges. Let us defeat real external
terrorists snd internal psychological terrorists once
for all.

God Bless out Great grand Nation, its diverse people,
and Senator Obama. He is the ans her to our future
stability, security, safety, and regain our status in
the world. Wright is wrong and out to see our Greatgrand Nation Move to New Horisons.

Yours truly,

COL.[retd] A.M.Khajawall
Disables American Veteran.
Las Vegas Nevada.
Drip drip indeed.  Roll 'em out.

http://thepajamapundit.com/
Finally, the supers are moving.
Great news. Great news, indeed.
The superdelegates are paying attention to electability, and that is why they are flocking to Obama.  Hillary Clinton is to divisive and corrupt to win the general election against McCain.

The only way she can get the nomination now is to steal it.  If that happens, I hope Obama runs as an independent.  Yes, this would pretty much guarantee a McCain victory, but I do not care.  I do not want Hillary rewarded the presidency after stealing the Democratic nomination from the rightful winner.  Yes, Bubba will be disappointed, since he was so looking forward to nailing some fresh new interns and pardoning some more terrorists, but we all have to deal with disappointment.

Obama in 2008.  Integrity matters and the Clintons have none.  
A change is coming… Wright? Please  if shady dealings an associations is what you call character issues and disqualifes Obama, then hillary should not even attempt to run. Please believe that Wright is a problem, but compared to Whitewater, lewinsky, impeachment, travel gate, furniture-gate, peter paul, norman Hsu, the list is endless! its ridiculous how you Hillary fans are talking about him being unelectable, when Hillary is the one losing in most polls, with the high unfavorability ratings and the only person that could bring out those same evangelicals that hande3d Bush the white house for 8 years.
Hillary is far from being a prestine princess, one shouldn't through stones when their hands are just as dirty..NO..hers is MORE DIRTY!
The supers are saying, 'Hillary, you, Rendell, and Limbaugh did not fool us with the broken polling machines in Philly, as well as, the voter fraud that went of in Pa.

Hillary,

Either get out now, or suffer the torture of daily super delegate cutting.  You're about bled out anyway. IE., broke.
angry man or woman - your point would be better made id you knew how to SPELL!!!!!!!!

Wow he's only 20 out right now?  Good god that gap is shrinking.  Run hillary!
To the first poster here:

The super delegates need to pay attention to the people and the rules all candidates agreed to at the outset...Wright has nothing to do with this. If he does, then we also need to start looking into "The Fellowship"!!
ANOTHER $50.00 ADDED TO OBAMA CAMPAIGN

YES WE CAN!!!!

OBAMA 2008

Obama only needs 291 delegates, or roughly 40% of the remaining delegates.

HRC supporters, now you know why we assail her integrity. She's in this for her own glory, not the country's. I have no idea what HRC's values are.
***AMERICA, PLEASE NOTE

I am disgusted and tired of being “lectured’ to by Sen. Obama and Rev. Wright about what exactly is WRONG with typical white, bitter, gun toting, bible clinging, small town,  Americans!!!  SICK OF IT!!  

According to Rev. Wright “a change is coming!”  

You bet it is Mr. Wright!

The Superdeligates need to pay attention to ELECTABILITY!!!
A change is coming… Wright? (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 12:55 PM)

A change is coming… Wright? (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 12:55 PM)

------------------------------------------

Thank you.

We've taken note.

We'd be even more impressed if you signed your name.

Oh, and by the way, he's Dr. Wright, not Mr. Wright.

Let it go!

Obama '08!
To:  A change is coming

The Clintons have always pandered to the blacks, and "working class".  Behind closed doors, the "N" word was common. They look down on all. They have delusions of grandeur, and will exploit, or destroy anyone, to get what they want - even their daughter.
Yes, the drip continues, even though Obama has faced a difficult time this week with the Rev. Wright issue.
I wouldn't be concerned with racism, even though Hillary and John McCain would like to inject it.  I'm white, 73, and I know Archie Bunkers when I see them in PA voting their dislike of people of color getting ahead, despite their superiority in this race.
When you consider how power was siezed in man's not so recent past, such as France, and England slaughtering one another as they claimed each other's land, and the Roman's death march invading other nations, etc., it puts our election cycle into perspective.

I went to bed upset last night after Wright's reappearance, but these ponderances made me feel better.
Keep them coming Obama!! Only one more week until this thing is over!

http://www.politivine.com
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!

MY HAIRS ON FIRE!!! THE SUPERDELEGATES WON'T IGNORE THE RAW NUMBERS AND BELIEVE MY FAVORITE CANDIDATE IS MORE ELECTABLE unless I type baseless insults IN ALL CAPS!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
To A Change is Coming---Wright

Don't count your Chickens before their Hatched.

Since when is Rev Wright running for President?

I sat in the Pews of my Church and listened to Pedophile Priests preach.  And yes they covered up their actions nicely.  One is even sitting in Rome now.

Are we responsible for the actions of others.  I think not.

Talk about the candidate not the preacher.

Let you who are without sin be the first to cast a stone.

Be not the first to judge lest you be judged and found wanting

On Change & Experience, McCain beats Clinton.

On Change, Obama beats McCain.  This is a change election year and that is the WINNER.
The kiddie for Chi-city is good.
Looks like the superdelegates are not going to allow the Wright antics to destroy the candidate that they ultimately want at the top of the ticket.

Good Bye Hillary
To the first poster here:

The super delegates need to pay attention to the people and the rules all of the candidates agreed to at the outset...Wright has nothing to do with this. If he does, then we also need to start looking into "The Fellowship", and Hagee and Palsey!!

By the way, was the last statement referencing Rev. Wright a threat of some kind?

We are ALL tired of the divisiveness and off message news. The country is in peril and no one is discussing the next steps necessary to change things. At least Obama has enough of a CLUE to know that this is going to take a change toward bi-partisianship to get our very serious problems solved. Senators Clinton and McCain seem to be against this "change". That stance, rather simply stated, justs steers us into "More of the Same Problems".

Get over The Rev. Wright, no one is voting for him for anything!
yes hurry up all you superdupers--hurry up and jump over the cliff----where you will be sitting next January.Perhaps Obama will get his pastor to pray for you after all he is out of the basement now.
Drip, drip, drip--the math keeps getting harder and harder for Clinton! She can't win this nomination--she can only try to steal it!
Obama said he felt his strongest foreign relations experience came from spending four years overseas as a child, Obamas has spent his short time on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on speeches and inspirational trips than on investigations and aggressive oversight. He is just now beginning to cut his teeth on foreign policy issues. Obama took charge of the European affairs subcommittee in early 2007, he didn’t seize the opportunity to scrutinize the Bush administration. With his campaign in full swing, the busy senator did not lead a single policy hearing on ANY of the hot topics in the panel’s jurisdiction: missile defense, counterterrorism and concern over the waning commitment of European countries to NATO etc… Obama cannot be trusted with the future of our Great but Troubled country! The debate showed Obamas extreme lack of foreign affairs issues
TO: Pete - Albany, NY

As far as "Dr" and not "Mr".... Sir,  R E S P E C T
is EARNED... not given!
First Read,

I did'nt know you took requests.

Now, where is the coverage of the Peter Paul fraud case?
Maybe the supers are looking at the fact that 6% of those who voted for Hillary in PA said they wouldn't vote for her in the general.  Couple that with the 40% that voted "Not Hillary" in Michigan when she was the only canidate on the ballot.  Now that says something about electability.
This is rich:

Clinton Criticizing Closure of Indiana Factory That Clinton Helped Close

Clinton is airing an advertisement in Indiana, bemoaning the closure of a defense contractor Magnequench's manufacturing plant in Valparaiso (she is also echoing this line in her stump speeches). Looking at the camera, she tells us she's upset that the 200 jobs that were sent to China, and that "now America's defense relies on Chinese spare parts." And then comes the kicker: She tells viewers that "George Bush could have stopped it, but he didn't."

Clinton is certainly right that it is a tragedy that 200 American jobs were killed in a corporate deal that also exported sensitive military technology to China. But she forgets to mention that it wasn't George Bush who was in the key position to stop it -- it was Bill Clinton.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/clinton-criticizing-closu_b_98972.html

It appears the superdelegates are paying no attention to Wright's egomaniacal ranting and seeing Obama for what he is---WAY more electable than vulnerable Hillary and her tons o' bad baggage.
Drippity...Drippity....Drip, Drip, Drip


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